TAKING
THE LOW-CARBON
LEAP
LIVEABILITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY
WWW.RAMBOLL.COM

Cover: Copenhagen has improved conditions for bikers
tremendously. Ramboll helped create data collection points along
bike paths to make so-called green waves, where a series of traffic
lights are coordinated to allow a continuous traffic flow for cyclists.
This is one among many elements that have led to the fact that
there are now more bikes than cars in Copenhagen.
Image: ÂŠ Igor Stojakovic | Dreamstime.com

CONTENT
Supporting the leap to a low-carbon society
Affordable, reliable energy for everyone
More renewables
Balancing the use of resources
Sustainable and liveable structures
Making mobility greener
From silo mentality to holistic masterplanning

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Contact

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Ramboll is a leading engineering, design and consultancy
company employing 13,000 experts. Our presence is global with
especially strong representation in the Nordics, UK, North America,
Continental Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. We constantly
strive to achieve inspiring and exacting solutions that make a
genuine difference to our clients, end-users and society at large.
www.ramboll.com

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

THE JOURNEY
HAS JUST BEGUN

Leading up to the Paris negotiations, 186 countries shared
their national action plans. More than 400 cities set targets
that could cut urban emissions in half. More than 114 leading
companies declared that they will use science-based targets
to set emissions-cutting goals. 20 countries committed
to double clean energy R&D spending. And a new global
alliance was established with the goal of mobilising USD 1
trillion for investments in solar energy. 10,000 new climate
initiatives were launched.
Now the Paris agreement has been ratified by all
197 countries, and although Paris was a tipping point, the
COP22 in Marrakesh, Morocco will be the first conference
that details how to keep the rise of temperatures â&#x20AC;&#x153;well
belowâ&#x20AC;? two degrees Celsius. The journey has just begun,
and it is crucial to ensure traction, pace and the long-term
sustainability of the green transition.
As a sustainable society consultant, Ramboll contributes
to this movement.

SUPPORTING
THE LEAP TO A
LOW-CARBON
SOCIETY
If we continue on this current high-carbon economic path, the
world will need to invest more than USD 90 trillion in infrastructure.
But the cost of converting our energy, transport and water to fit a
low-carbon economy will be lower – and it will make our economy
cleaner, more efficient, and more productive.

NECESSARY QUESTIONS
ON THE JOURNEY
How do we grow the economy and
maintain economic resilience?
How do we finance the needed
investments without compromising
living standards along the way especially when financing is an issue
that will involve both the availability
of sustainable energy solutions and
simultaneously stimulate responsible
growth in the developing world?
And how do we accelerate the
development of game-changing solutions
and technologies required to support
both growth and green transition?

With the Paris Agreement on climate
change and the UN Sustainable
Development Goals, we have broad
consensus by states, cities, utilities
and businesses that we want a lowcarbon society and everyone must
contribute to it. The trick is to solve
three challenges at the same time.
Transition to a low-carbon
society pays off
The UN projects global population
growth of more than 2.5 billion by
2050, and other forecasts predict
3 billion more people to aspire –
understandably – to the standard of
living enjoyed in Western economies.
With a business-as-usual scenario, we
would have to dramatically increase
the amount of resources annually
extracted – the consequence being
extra pressure on land, water and
energy usage.
To keep global warming well below
two degrees Celsius – as promised
by countries all over the world in the
Cop21-Paris Agreement from 2015 –
we need to invest at least
USD 13.5 trillion in energy efficiency
and low-carbon technologies before
2030, according to the International
Energy Agency.
Benefitting from
a new climate economy
Who and how should we pay for all
this? For some time, the economic
crisis has slowed down investment
in efficient energy systems, more
sustainable consumption and
production patterns etc. But

cost-benefit analyses clearly indicate
that transition to a low-carbon
economy pays off in the long term.
Thus, governments, cities and
companies around the world are
increasingly focusing on how we
tackle issues around climate change,
so that we are not just reactive but
actually benefitting from a new
climate economy.
The Global Commission on the
Economy and Climate estimates
that if we continue on this current
high-carbon economic path, the
world will need to invest more than
USD 90 trillion in infrastructure.
But the cost of converting our
energy, transport and water to fit
a low-carbon economy will not be
much higher. It would also make our
economy cleaner, more efficient, and
more productive, and it would reduce
the enormous costs of adapting to
climate change. All in all, the costs
can be lower.
The challenge is that while
the global business case for action
is good, the need for upfront
investments may land in sectors,
countries or regions unable or
unwilling to carry this burden.
This means we have to act smart
and innovative in order to reach
economic, environmental and social
sustainability. It is the only way that
the three challenges can be turned
into one big opportunity.

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

Copenhill delivers high-efficient energy
Amager Resource Centre will be one of the most efficient waste-to-energy facilities in the world.
As the Ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Engineer, Ramboll has assisted in the planning and implementation of the EUR 469
million facility, which will produce 20% more energy per tonne of waste, compared to the existing plant.
The multi-functional waste-to-energy facility in Copenhagen raises the bar for resource optimisation
with an energy efficiency of 107% and high potential for recycling and recovery.
The 440,000 tpa facility will be fully integrated into the urban setting, surrounded by high-end flats,
and will feature recreational facilities on the roof. Visualisation: Amager Resource Centre.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

RAMBOLL’S LOW-CARBON
SOCIETY APPROACH
The low-carbon society approach encompasses three
elements. These can be used to facilitate sustainable
growth while increasing liveability and quality of life.

FOR ALL ACTORS
For all actors; not just
industries and governments,
but cities and people too.

ON ALL LEVELS
This means engagement at all
levels of the planning process,
and paying equal attention to
each stage of planning.

Responsible
use of resources

Sustainable structures

More renewables

WITH ALL BENEFITS
Only if you include the
added value potentials,
the solutions will be truly
sustainable.

Green mobility

Affordable energy

Holistic planning

LOW-CARBON SOCIETY

The Ramboll low-carbon appproach
Ramboll’s experience is that if it is
done right, it is possible to facilitate
sustainable growth while increasing
liveability and quality of life.
We aim to make solutions that do not
just solve one problem, but also make
life better in other ways. The Danish
capital Copenhagen and other cities
with the ambition to become CO2neutral do not only focus on creating
a climate-resilient urban environment.
The ambition is to attract people,
capital and growth by providing
climate change solutions which
improve liveability.
To optimise solutions, though, it is
necessary to consider the following
three elements – and the interaction
between them - in all planned
initiatives:
On all levels. This means involvement
at all levels of the planning process:
the long-term, strategic level of
planning, the tactical, step-by-step
detailing of actions needed to reach
the objective and the operational level

of activity planning and adjusting. If
one of these levels is not considered
or involved, it is particularly
challenging to achieve the desired
outcome. This applies to the public as
well as the private sector.

these human elements. Only if you
are smart enough to identify and
include the added value-potentials,
then the solutions will be truly
sustainable, environmentally, socially
and economically.

For all actors. When addressing an
issue, it is necessary to involve all
stakeholders early in the process,
and establish a common ground for
working towards the same outcome.
It is not enough to work with an
industry or government, but consider
all stakeholders. Within a city, which
neighbourhoods will be affected,
and within those neighbourhoods,
which influencers will be important to
involve? Ownership is an important
component of actor involvement, and
of successful completion.

We help clients in a number of
specific areas that can all contribute
to reducing emission levels. These six
areas are energy, enabling resource
optimisation, responsible use of
resources, sustainable and liveable
structures, green mobility, and
planning resilient frameworks.

With all benefits. Plan for people, and
consider what is important for them.
Climate change in itself is a label, but
people, at a personal level, are not
concerned about climate change.
They are worried about being safe,
warm, happy, healthy, so use this as
your laser focus – and think of low
carbon as the long-term enabler for

While the local context of any
particular project is unique, and
determines the point of departure,
the ambition and the end result, all
of these areas are part of our client’s
contributions to a low-carbon society.
On the coming pages you can read
about our approach and some of the
holistic, value adding, low-carbon
projects that Ramboll has supported.

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

A LOW-CARBON
ECONOMY IS
A LONG-TERM,
PROFITABLE
CHOICE

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

AFFORDABLE,
RELIABLE ENERGY
FOR EVERYONE
85% of the world’s energy consumption comes from fossilfuelled power plants. However, this balance is challenged
by a growing need for more and greener energy. This
calls for an improvement of the energy infrastructure, the
energy efficiency and a change in the choices of fuel.

FOSSIL-FREE IN 2050
The “Climate and Energy Strategy for
Oslo” describes how the city can cut
its fossil fuel emissions in half by 2030
and become fossil-free in 2050.
Ramboll has helped the Municipality
of Oslo to develop the strategy which
will act as a road map for how the city
will accomplish its green change.

The energy mix is in transition all
over the world. In choosing the right
sources and investments for the
future, every country has to take
many different factors into account.
Not only environmental, but also
economical and security factors
concerning energy systems.
Prices of renewables are coming
down fast, and in some parts of the
world the transition to solar, wind
and other cleaner sources can be
achieved quickly because a country
has the economic resources to
invest and can employ the necessary
logistics.
Enabling a society
with more renewables
In other countries, renewables cannot
be brought into the energy mix fast
enough to reduce the country’s
dependence on highly pollutant
and potentially insecure sources.
Here, lack of access to energy can
sometimes hinder the progress in
education which will eventually lead
to a society with more renewables.
Having access to natural gas may be
a huge step forward compared to
burning plastic indoors in households.
Ramboll provides tailor-made, holistic
solutions all over the world. We
know that the best way to provide
affordable, reliable, secure, technically
feasible and low-carbon energy
to citizens differs from country to
country, from town to town and from
company to company. The right
low-carbon energy solution depends

entirely on the point of departure and
the specifics of the place in question.
Improving energy
efficiency with district energy
District energy is a good example
of an approach that can be adapted
in almost every country in the
world – but the technology must be
customised to local conditions.
In cities, people have the same
energy needs at the same time, so it
makes economic and environmental
sense to look at energy supply on
a much larger scale. The density of
a city enables thermal energy to be
produced and stored centrally and
then distributed throughout the city
via city energy grids.
In Copenhagen, 98% of the heat
comes from the district heating grid,
where Combined Heat and Power
plants use the surplus heat from
electricity production as heating for
homes and offices – instead of just
releasing it out in the sea as is the
case in many other countries.
The main advantages are higher
energy efficiency, cheaper and more
reliable energy for the citizens – and
a higher probability of meeting
climate goals for the decision
makers. That is partly because of the
high energy source flexibility: One
example is the Avedøre Plant just
outside Copenhagen, which delivers
heating to the grid, and where coal is
being replaced by biomass. Another
example is the fact that a growing

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

District Cooling on all scales
A centralised cooling system is easy to install and cheaper and more efficient than individual chillers – in colder
as well as in warmer climates. Underneath the new Copenhagen neighbourhood Carlsberg City lie two enormous
storage tanks, each holding 2 million litres of water storage capacity for energy-efficient – and economically
sound – district cooling for 300,000 m2 of office buildings. District cooling does not require a big piping system
running from a power plant to the area where the cooling is used – as district heating usually does. All it takes is a
storage tank, that is easy to install and can be used in small areas, for example with a tank just three storeys high.
Visualisation: Luxigon.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

percentage of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s district
heating comes from waste-to-energy
plants.
Other cities are discovering the
advantages. In London, Ramboll
is partner in a pioneering project
that will use the waste heat from
the London Underground to
produce district heating. A report
commissioned by the Greater London
Authorities has found that enough
heat is wasted in London to meet 70%
of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heating needs. Capturing
this heat and delivering it to the heat
network would dramatically improve
fuel bills, fuel poverty, fuel security
and carbon emissions.
US conversion to district energy
In North America, Ramboll is helping
more and more colleges and cities
that are looking to convert their
old steamwater systems, which can
be costly to operate and maintain,
as well as being a potential safety
hazard. The hot water district energy
system which is widely used in

Europe is more flexible, has a reduced
risk of leakages, a higher degree of
efficiency, and better possibilities of
integrating renewable energy.
Ramboll is already conducting a
renewable energy study for the Ivy
League University Dartmouth to help
the old New Hampshire institution
reach its sustainability goals. The
University uses oil today, but after
the conversion it can also use solar,
biomass and other renewables, and
this part of the green transition
means CO2 reductions of up to 80%.

sources, fossil fuel production will
go on for decades; in Ramboll we
know how to reduce the carbon
footprint from it. One of the best
examples is hydrocarbon emissions
from platforms and refineries, where
the industry is looking for more
environment-friendly solutions. The
concept of flare gas recovery is quite
simple; zero-flaring systems reduce
CO2 emissions from the platform and
increase the production of export
sales gas.

At MIT (Massachusetts Institute of
Technology) we are hired to design
a hot water system for a part of the
campus, but MIT will still use gas
as the primary fuel source after the
conversion. The primary goal here is
to improve efficiency and reliability.

Ramboll has completed the design
of a flare gas recovery system for
the North Sea platform, South Arne
operated by Hess Denmark. The path
to the flare has been re-established
successfully in instances of high
pressure without any disturbance to
the production.

Cutting carbon from flare gas
Efficiency and reliability can also
be improved when district energy
is inexpedient to implement.
According to the IEA and other

Apart from designing smokeless flare
systems, we can advise on reducing
the levels of harmful substances
at refineries. We have carried
out numerous projects that have

THREE DEFINING PRINCIPLES
IN ENERGY SYSTEMS
In choosing the right sources and investments for the
future, every country has to take many factors into
account. Not only environmental but also economic
and security factors concerning energy systems.

considerably increased efficiency
and output while maintaining
regulatory compliance for plants
installed years ago.
Natural gas as the best
available fossil fuel
In some cases, the most sensible road
towards a low carbon society is to
start replacing coal and oil with the
fossil fuel that emits the least CO2:
natural gas. A good example is the
Cop22-host country. Morocco. Today,
the country depends on fossil fuel
imports to generate over 97% of its
energy. But the country is turning
toward renewables and natural gas.
Ramboll is the technical advisor to the
Morocco gas project which supports
the development of the country and
ensures that the electricity will be
provided in a reliable, responsible
and highly scalable form. The Gas to
Power project will diversify Morocco’s
energy mix, improve energy
efficiency and reduce dependency on
imported energy sources. It will also
complement Morocco’s ambitious
renewable energy plan – 52% by 2030
– and is thus in line with Ramboll’s
position in this area, clearly stating
that the availability of natural gas
should not slow down investment in
renewables.

Effective refueling logistics
In order to reduce carbon emissions and enhance the traffic flow, Ramboll has helped
Fjord Line in Hirtshals, Northern Denmark, identify options for a greener way of refueling
where ships won’t lose precious time to fuel during scheduled routes This also ensures a
smooth process for the LNG terminal that would not jeopardise the passengers and the
traffic. Image below: LNG import and regasification facility in Finland.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

MORE
RENEWABLES
Wind and solar are on the rise – and prices are falling.
But it is essential to choose the most efficient technologies
and set-ups. Society also needs storage to control the
supply of renewables, e.g. in giant pools of hot water.

RENEWABLES ON THE RISE
Around 16% of the world’s energy
consumption comes from renewable
resources such as biomass, hydro, wind,
solar and geothermal. Renewable sources
of energy have been the driver of much
of the growth in the global clean energy
sector for the past 25 years, and today at
least 30 nations around the world already
have renewable energy contributing
more than 20% of energy supply.

In order to keep global warming well
below 2 degrees Celsius – a de facto
fulfilment of the pledge politicians
made in Paris at Cop21 in 2015 –
renewables must grow significantly in
all energy sectors. According to the
International Energy Agency (IEA),
fossil fuels dominate the electricity
mix with a 68% share, but this must
be effectively reversed by 2050,
when renewables should account for
roughly the same share.

Ramboll is working systematically
with many renewable energy sources
and to increase their efficiency.
Innovating wind as a resource
Since we developed our first wind
turbines in 1986 we have rapidly
expanded our involvement in wind
projects all over the world as well
as being a leader in the offshore
wind sector where we are involved
in over 65% of global projects,

Greening Energy Plants
The Avedøre Power Station, located just south of Copenhagen, supplies district heating
to more than 200,000 households in the Greater Copenhagen area and power to meet
the annual consumption of 1.3 million households. The plant is making the transition to
biomass, a move that will reduce its CO2 emissions by about one million tonnes per year.
The switch is one of the world’s largest scale bioconversions of a heat or power plant to
date, heralding a trend that is picking up speed. Ramboll is also providing engineering
consultancy services to the conversion of Lynemouth Power Station – one of the most
polluting in the UK - from coal to biomass.

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

Ramboll also works extensively on
onshore wind projects. Our innovative
jacket with suction buckets has a
bearing capacity able to support
turbines even in weak seabed soils,
thus enabling the structures to
resist external loads such as strong
currents, collisions and harsh weather.
At the same time, it helps meet one
of the offshore industry’s biggest
challenges: costs.

Stable foundations in the South Yellow Sea
The Chinese wind power market is the largest worldwide with a global market share
of 52%, according to the World Wind Energy Association, and Ramboll will be the first
non-Chinese company to design a big offshore wind farm in China (100 turbines with
a capacity of 400 MW). The wind farm will be located in the Jiangsu province, 22 km
off the coast in an area prone to earthquakes and very soft soil-conditions, where the
seabed consists of deposits washed out by the large rivers, which poses a high risk
of soil liquefaction. This puts unique demands on the design and construction of the
foundations that will be placed 60m below seabed, in order to support the turbines
in depths of 14-18 m.

Utilising solar’s potential
Ramboll has provided consultancy
services in connection with a number
of solar heating plants. The plants
range in size from 200 m2 to the
largest solar heating plant of more
than 50,000 m2.
We are world leaders when it comes
to seasonal storage, where large-scale
solar heating plants have the potential
to cover more than 50% of the yearly
heat production. Experts from the
credit-rating agency Standard &
Poor’s call storage “the final piece in
the global energy transition puzzle”,
and according to the IEA storage
plays “a crucial role in energy system
decarbonisation”.
Extending lifetime with biomass
Biomass is a limited resource, but with
sustainable production methods it
makes great sense to convert existing
large coal-fired power plants into
biomass-fired plants and hereby cut
carbon footprints significantly. Often,
a bioconversion goes hand-in-hand
with a lifetime extension, giving 15-25
years of additional operation. This
saves time and costs too. In Europe,
establishing a new thermal power
plant typically costs about USD $780
million. In comparison, modernising
and refurbishing an existing plant
typically costs just under USD $170
million.
Moreover, an existing plant takes
about 1-2 years to refurbish whereas
a new plant takes four to five years
to construct.

Two world energy records in a small Danish town
In Vojens and other small Danish towns, hot water from solar heating is being stored in
a covered pit. The consumer-owned district heating system in Vojens holds two world
energy records: a 70,000-m2 solar heating plant and a 200,000-m3 heat storage – a
giant pool of sorts 13 metres deep and 610 metres in circumference - in an old gravel pit.
What is more, the pool is commercially viable under Danish conditions. The floating cover
makes it possible to store the hot water for the Danish winter season when consumers
turn on their radiators. The large-scale investment will increase the share of solar heating
to 50% of the annual heat demand, providing consumers with annual savings of 10-15% on
their heating bills. The plant saves 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

MAKE WASTE
A RESOURCE IN
THE CIRCULAR
ECONOMY

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

BALANCING
THE USE
OF RESOURCES
There is a growing need to reuse, recycle and optimise
resources – for example converting waste and wastewater
into energy. It is not only sustainable and a necessary part
of the green transition. It is also economically sound.

SMART EXTENSION OF
PLATFORM LIFETIME
In 2040, 50% of the world energy
supply will still come from oil and gas.
With mature fields representing an
ever-growing segment of global
offshore reserves, there is a keen
interest in maximising recovery
from existing oil fields to keep up
with global energy demand.
Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a
cost-effective means of monitoring how
an old platform is doing and deciding
how often and where to inspect.

According to the UN and other
sources growth in population and
living standards mean that by 2050
we will have to extract more than
twice the amount of resources
annually extracted in 2000 – the
consequence being extra pressure
on land, water and energy usage.
This drives home why experts are
calling for a paradigm shift in how we
consider resources.

Make waste a resource
in the circular economy
For example, waste can no longer
be waste. We have no choice but
to make it a resource in a circular
economy – an economy that only
functions optimally if it includes
recycling as well as energy recovery.
Two factors are driving the
emergence of the circular economy
in its present form: long-term price
increases for raw materials and
environmental legislation/green
taxation.

Using advanced calculations, Ramboll
can determine the actual state
of the structure – thereby saving
money and ensuring more efficient
exploitation of the resources.
Source: International
Energy Agency (IEA)

Sustainability in the Finnish bedrock
In the Finnish city Espoo, an advanced treatment plant is literally being carved
into the city’s bedrock named Blominmäki.
The plant in Blominmäki will not only treat wastewater but also produce energy.
Surplus heat from the plant will be recovered from treated wastewater, and electricity
produced from biogas generated in the anaerobic digestion facilities will meet more
than the half of the plant’s total electricity requirement.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

The primary goal here is, of course,
to prevent waste from being created.
Secondly, society must use materials
that can be reused, or re-cycled. If
that is impossible, the waste must
be utilised, e.g. by burning it. Today,
tonnes and tonnes of waste are
being unnecessarily dumped in
landfills. A lot of it can be recycled
and almost all the rest can be used
in waste-to-energy plants. This does

not only create a more sustainable
environment – where pollution is
decoupled from growth – but it also
saves money.
In Ramboll we have worked on wasteto-energy projects in 45 countries.
One of these is Lebanon, where we
are assisting in keeping the waste
from piling up in Beirut by doing a
procurement of a waste-to-energy

plant with a capacity of 600,000
tonnes of waste annually.
In Singapore we are helping to
build a plant that will be the world’s
largest of its kind, integrated with an
adjacent water reclamation plant to
fully exploit the synergies between
waste and wastewater treatment.

How to save water
You can save water – and lower CO2-emissions – by reusing it for recreational purposes. Ramboll
has helped cities like Copenhagen create many blue-green infrastructure projects, where rainwater is
retained and used on the surface for water areas in parks and other places instead of overloading the
sewage system – thereby saving electricity to the pumps. Visualisation: SLA.

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

Optimising wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment is, in general,
a fast rising technology. Water and
wastewater treatment (W&WT) plants
have become more efficient and
innovative, enhancing their processes
and thus maximising output use by
recovering energy and nutrients,
recuperating organic matter and
producing clean, reusable water –
sometimes even drinkable.

Recycling of building materials
Developing cities are facing traffic congestion, soaring property prices, severe pollution
and rampant illegal construction in the wake of booming growth and the resultant acute
lack of housing. In Hanoi, Vietnam, for example, soft ground has made some of the city’s
central areas uninhabitable. However, these derelict inner city areas will soon pulse with
new life, due to a new Ramboll-developed technology that aims to replace non-renewable
natural resources with recovered materials in earthworks by using mass stabilisation
techniques. The soft soil does not have to be removed from the construction site, and
replacement materials do not have to be hauled on site from great distances, all of which
minimises the use of natural resources and the need for heavy transport.

The original prime function was
to improve public health, but new
values include good water resource
management and a healthy natural
water ecosystem. When Ramboll
designs new or improved water and
wastewater plants, it is part of our
working model to consider energy
saving equipment and investigate if
energy recovery is a good business
case. For example, when it reduces
the cost of sludge disposal or when
sludge is disconnected from water
treatment plants to make more
production of biogas possible; the
latter has been done in Gothenburg,
Sweden, where the gas is used for
buses.
Finding ways to reduce
and reuse organic material
W&WT plants are, in other words,
becoming multifunctional. A good
example of the transition is Harvest
Power’s Energy Garden in Central
Florida, an organics management
and renewable energy facility that is
the first of its kind in the USA. The
Energy Garden helps businesses and
communities across Central Florida
reduce and reuse organic material,
increase renewable energy production
and revitalise soil to boost local
agriculture. Restaurants, hotels and
food processing facilities throughout
the region are now able to send food
scraps to the Energy Garden.
The Walt Disney World Resort was
the facility’s first client. More than
100,000 tonnes of organic waste
each year can now be combined with
the waste-activated sludge from the
local municipality and processed to
produce 5.4 megawatts of combined
heat and power and over 6,000
tonnes of usable fertiliser instead of
being disposed of in local landfills.

Image above: Øyvind Hagen, Statoil.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

Green roofs
In Chicago, USA, the city has decided to create a system of green roofs designed to bring down the
temperature. The city hall set an example with their green roof, which has reduced the summer surface
temperatures by 30C, decreased storm water runoff by 60% and saved the city an estimated USD 75,000 in
cooling costs. The roof has 20,000 plants and more than 150 varieties native to the region. Thus, Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
green roof initiative is a great example of thinking nature into the building design, which means a reduction
of CO2 emissions and less costs compared to an expensive cooling system. Visualisation: Diane Cook And Len
Jenshel/National Geographic Stock.

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

SUSTAINABLE AND
LIVEABLE STRUCTURES
According to the UN, buildings use 40% of the global
energy, 25% of the global water, 40% of global resources
and they emit approximately 1/3 of the greenhouse gases.
These numbers may seem overwhelming, but there are
numerous ways to engineer sustainable buildings.

CLEAR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
The Change Initiative building in
Dubai, UAE, is one of the world’s most
sustainable buildings. From the early
phases of the building design, there was
close collaboration across disciplines
to maximise performance and energy
saving while minimising costs. Passive
strategies were prioritised, which means
that the natural resources available were
considered carefully in the process. This
included considering the building’s layout
and orientation, as these are central for
enabling natural ventilation and daylight
and thus minimising CO2 emissions.
THE NEED FOR
SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
Buildings use about 40% of global energy,
25% of global water, 40% of global
resources, and they emit approximately
1/3 of global GHG emissions (UNEP).

No building is an island. Every
building is part of a wider community
and the associated infrastructure and
when energy systems and buildings
themselves are optimised, it creates
value for owners, the users, the
environment and the society as
a whole.
In Ramboll we find that five elements
are important to consider when
planning a building project: the local
context, passive strategies available,
renewable energy possibilities,
sustainable building materials and
options for integrated energy design.
By combining these five factors,
we can we create holistic building
solutions with minimal CO2 emissions.
The most efficient way of lowering
carbon emissions from buildings is to
use energy in a more efficient way.

And for the energy that is still needed
by choosing renewable energy
sources or by introducing district
energy systems. But we should not
forget that many carbon emissions
come from constructing buildings and
this can be significantly reduced too.
One approach is to re-consider the
materials that we build with. As an
example, timber is a material that
when produced absorbs carbon
and stores it rather than emits
carbon. It is a lightweight material,
which therefore requires smaller
foundations. It is prefabricated offsite,
thereby shortening construction
times.
The world’s tallest building with a
cross-laminated timber structure is
Dalston Lane, a residential building
in London. The use of CLT at Dalston

Limiting carbon leakage from waste
At waste deposit sites, some of the waste emits methane gas that is roughly 30 times
more potent than CO2 as a heat-trapping gas. In Klintholm waste deposit, Denmark,
Ramboll’s experts have developed a solution: a biocover design. The technology is based
on creating a time window where the methane gas is naturally converted to CO2 – which
is not as harmful. There are other ways to convert methane from landfills to more
sustainable use: In Gothenburg, Sweden, Ramboll and partners are investigating the
possibility to use methane from a landfill to produce heat for houses and a vegetable farm
with tomatoes. The methane-limiting technologies can be used all over the world, but
must be aligned with the principles of the circular economy: That means only for waste
that is non-recyclable and non-combustible.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

Lane has saved 2,400 tonnes of
carbon compared to an equivalent
structure using a concrete frame.
Timber has also been used instead
of concrete in pedestrian and cycle
bridge structures.

are constantly helping us understand
better where energy is wasted and
smart technologies are helping
us monitor and control that the
intentions in the design which are put
to use in the building.

More energy-efficient buildings
Carbon emissions can also be
reduced by installing different energysaving technologies within buildings.
Recent feasible developments
include groundwater cooling systems
reducing energy used for cooling
by up to 85%; heat exchangers on
ventilation air intake/exhaust or
simply intelligent re-use of excess
heat from server rooms and other
electrical equipment.

A third strategy would be to use the
buildings we have more efficiently, to
avoid needing to build more buildings.

Energy efficiency in buildings
can be further improved by using
advanced simulation techniques when
designing the buildings and using
smart technologies when operating
buildings. Improved design methods

A multi-purpose indoor arena in
Copenhagen – the Royal Arena – is
about to be completed. Traditionally,
football stadiums were built for
the bi-weekly kick-offs. However,
by thinking many purposes into
the building design, one arena can
provide a venue for many types of
events. The same goes for office
spaces, residential buildings and
schools. By extending opening hours,
better utilisation of an otherwise
limited usage building can be
achieved – and thus the arena emits

less carbon than it would otherwise
have done.
Nature can absorb CO2
Buildings are not the only structures
that can be made more sustainable,
thus enabling lower carbon emissions.
A different example is Bishan-Ang Mo
Kio Park in Singapore, where Ramboll
has converted a 2.7 km straight
concrete drainage channel into a
sinuous, 3.2 km long natural river, that
meanders through the park. Sixty-two
hectares of park space has been
tastefully redesigned in an awardwinning project– with more trees and
other greenery - to accommodate
the dynamic process of a river system
which includes fluctuating water
levels. This does not only provide
more benefit and better health for
park users – with both recreational
value and as a cool oasis amidst the
city’s concrete urban heat – it also
lowers carbon emissions, as plants
and trees absorb CO2.

HOW ENERGY CAN RESHAPE A CITY
Through large-scale solutions, shared services and
innovative use of existing natural resources, cities can have
energy that is cheaper and lower in carbon emissions.

01

03 Cooling storage becomes 20-40% cheaper

A body of water can be used to regulate
the energy system's temperature
(50-90 % energy reduction)

04 The client benefits from lower energy bills
as well as higher resiliency

02 The cost of the cooling central
becomes 30-50% lower

04

02
03

01

05

05 Chilled water pipes

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

WE CREATE
HOLISTIC BUILDING
SOLUTIONS WITH
MINIMAL CO2
EMISSIONS

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

Supporting green and holistic transport planning in Helsinki, Finland
As part of the redevelopment of the shipping harbour in the Jätkäsaari district of Helsinki, Ramboll helps develop
a comprehensive network of pedestrian- and cycle paths as well as a smooth public transport system, primarily trams.
A main pedestrian and cycle route will pass through a one-kilometre-long park in the centre of Jätkäsaari. Parks will be
connected to the waterfront and other parks by routes using pedestrian and bicycle bridges. A pedestrian and cycle route,
“Baana”, allows residents to bicycle from Jätkäsaari to the city centre in just five minutes.
Upon the completion of the construction of Jätkäsaari in 2030, a circular loop tramline will service the entire precinct,
supplemented by a temporary bus service during construction. Visualisation: Turo Auvinen.

CREATING A “FIVE-MINUTE CITY”
IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
The Municipality of Copenhagen has
set an objective that at least 50%
of all journeys to and from work or
education must be covered by bike.
Simultaneously, the Nordhavn district
of Copenhagen has been designed to
make it easier to walk, cycle and use the
metro rather than use a car. This includes
a “five-minute city” concept, whereby
it will be possible to reach shops,
institutions, workplaces, cultural facilities
and public transport within five minutes’
walk from any point in the district.

Air quality management strategies
and a comprehensive, sustainable
urban mobility approach can create
a significant impact on emission
reductions. This will at the same time
result in extensive co-benefits through
local improvements.
Such approaches include cleaner
technology and fuels, but also the
development of compact urban
communities with multi-modal
transport and pricing options that

promote walking, cycling and the use
of public transport over car usage.
This allows residents to choose the
most convenient travel option with
the highest sustainability benefits and
the lowest cost to taxpayers.
Nordic experience
can benefit Indian cities
As an example, Ramboll is conducting
a pilot study in the historic city of
Udaipur in Rajasthan, India. The study
is intended to build an understanding
of the challenges and determine

how international experience from
places like the Nordic countries
and Singapore can benefit Indian
cities. The next steps are to make
short daily trips walkable, prioritise
public transport, take advantage of
sustainable energy and capitalise on
density through holistic planning.
Studies from around the world reveal
that when cities grow, environmental
quality and thus also liveability
deteriorates. Many Indian cities also
suffer from water and air pollution –
and thereby high carbon emissions.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. It
is possible to decouple pollution from
growth.Smart transport systems
As part of an ambitious green
masterplan, Copenhagen has a
goal of becoming CO2-neutral in
2025, and an important part here is
reducing emissions from transport.
The city has improved conditions
for bikers tremendously. Ramboll
helped create data collection points
along bike paths to make so-called

PROMOTING
LOW-CARBON MOBILITY

“green waves’, whereby a series of
traffic lights are coordinated to allow
continuous traffic flow for cyclists
over several intersections.
Another example is the construction
of super bike paths with very few
traffic lights and harbour bridges
that save cyclists both mileage and
minutes. The added value here is a
higher liveability – and better health
for the citizens (and thus decreased
health costs), because more people
bike to and from work.
Other clients are discovering the
advantages: The Saudi Arabian
megacity of Jeddah is also concerned
about the cost of doing nothing. An
environmental degradation study
by Ramboll shows that Jeddah will
lose 2-4% of its annual GDP unless
something is done to address rapid
population growth, water scarcity and
pollution.

52

0

To complete the assignment, Ramboll
lined up experts with different but
complementing areas of expertise,
taking a multi-faceted approach to
achieving the three main objectives:
More people should walk for a longer
period of the year. Walking should
be an attractive – and safe – option
for everyone. And walking should be
incorporated into all urban planning.
For example, pedestrians should have
their own footpaths separate from
cyclists, because the two groups
move at different paces, and Oslo
has also seen a significant rise in the
number of cyclists.

It needs to be more attractive and simple to choose the lowcarbon mode of transportation in cities. While biking and
walking no CO2, cars, trains and buses are high emitters.

60

gram CO2 per person
per km by metro

gram CO2 per person
per km by person

A multi-faceted approach to walking
And the Norwegian capital of Oslo
earlier this year recognised that
pedestrians have a lower priority
in the city’s traffic planning, and
that cycling and public transport
behaviour has been mapped in far
greater detail than pedestrian flows.
So they invited Ramboll to design a
walking strategy before the end of
2016.

gram CO2 per person
per km by train

126

gram CO2 per person
per km by car

0

gram CO2 per person
per km by bicycle

83

gram CO2 per person
per km by bus

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

Making light rail carbon-free
Rail, metro, and light rail systems to reduce car usage and thereby carbon emissions. Solar and other renewable
energy sources can now compete with coal to supply power for light rail transit systems. It is possible to make a
light rail completely carbon-free using tram batteries that are recharged at station stops using power generated
by solar energy. The Australian city Perth now has solar power and batteries that are cheaper than coal-fired
power. Visualisation: LRT Sinsen, Oslo, Norway. Placebo Effects A/S.

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26

TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

FROM
SILO MENTALITY
TO HOLISTIC
MASTERPLANNING
Cost-benefit analyses of low-carbon measures must
include all environmental, social and economic aspects
of sustainability in order to optimise the strategy,
framework and execution for private and public clients.

Preparing for the future is a
complicated process. There is a need
to establish strong partnerships, both
public and private, to create longterm solutions for companies, cities,
regions and countries.
Experience shows that you get
the best results if your approach
is cross-disciplinary - and if your
long-term planning integrates all the
necessary sustainable steps early
in the construction of buildings or
infrastructure. Cities must adapt
a holistic approach and ideally a
masterplan that incorporates a variety
of social offerings to attract people
and businesses to a city – and that

connects different layers of the city in
various ways.
You need not only to connect sewer
systems with transport networks,
parks and buildings. You also need
to forge connections between the
technical solutions, the governance
structure and the social and cultural
offerings, if you are to create a city
that is not only sustainable but also
liveable.
Value-drivers instead of cost-drivers
When investments in city
infrastructure are done right, they
become value drivers instead of cost
drivers. But this necessitates that we

take a holistic approach and base
investment decisions on thorough
societal cost-benefit analyses.
In practice, however, working across
different disciplines and sectors can
be challenging. The silo mentality –
the mindset present when the experts
involved in a project are only focused
on their own fields of expertise – can
be a major hurdle in masterplanning.
If experts have tunnel vision, tackling
problems by focusing only on their
own fields, it can be hard for them
to grasp the value gained from an
extensive, cross-disciplinary plan.

FROM SILOS TO HOLISTIC MASTERPLANNING
- THE PROCESS
You need to forge connections between the technical solutions,
the governance structure and the social and cultural offerings,
if you are to create a city that is sustainable and liveable.

01

02

03

04

Identify all stakeholders
and bring them out of their
silo organisations

Bring silo competencies
together to formulate
a common goal

Plan focusing on
the connections between
the silos

Embrace
the multi-disciplinary
as a strength from start
to finish

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

Distilled spirits company sustainability planning
For one of the world’s largest spirits distillers, Ramboll identified significant water and energy savings
through a series of audits at their plants in North America. Our team identified how the five already energyefficient facilities could further reduce energy use by 10% with approximately a 2.5 year payback. Capital
project opportunities ranged from boilers to biomass projects to lighting to increased use of waste heat and
simultaneous generation of heating and cooling to combined heat and power opportunities. As an added value,
we found that water use could be reduced 1 million m3 per year by addressing once through cooling, with
additional options around water treatment and reuse. We have now begun phase 2 of this project, visiting plants
in Asia and the Caribbean.

Ramboll has extensive experience
helping municipalities, private
companies and knowledge
institutions set up several
partnerships – and reach out to both
citizens and investors - to avoid
this silo mentality and accelerate
green transitions in cities. These
partnerships help municipalities
form a clear-cut vision for their cities
and define specific focus areas for
achieving the overall goal.
Joining forces to safeguard cities
One example is the municipalities
and utilities of Copenhagen and
Frederiksberg that have joined forces
with Ramboll and other advisors
on a concretisation of a cloudburst
mitigation plan. Some of the excess
water will be retained locally for
recreational areas, while cloudburst
streets with high kerbstones will
lead stormwater away efficiently and
quickly.

This saves CO2, because you do
not need so much energy to clean
sewage water, but it also heightens
the share of blue-green infrastructure
– recreational areas, that not only
have the added value of better health
liveability, but also higher real estate
prices.
The advantage here is that an
inclusion of a blue-green solution is
often cheaper than a traditional grey
solution, where only the sewers are
expanded. It also has the additional
benefit of improved health and quality
of life – and increased real estate
prices – because inhabitants get
more recreational options. Other big
cities are inspired by the Copenhagen
approach; New York City Department
of Environmental Protection has
asked Ramboll to do a cost-benefit
climate study in Queens. The biggest
city in the US also wants us to cast
light on not only parts of a project

FINANCING LOW-CARBON
INFRASTRUCTURE IN ASIA
AND THE PACIFIC
We has been engaged by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) to provide
technical assistance regarding financing
low-carbon, climate-resilient urban
infrastructure in cities in Asia and
the Pacific. For six pilot cities, we will
undertake a rapid appraisal assessment
of current infrastructure, city-level
modelling of emissions profiles and
vulnerability to future climate change
impacts – and prioritise options via a
macro-level cost-benefit analysis. This
will be accompanied by identification
of financing models and mechanisms
to address investment needs and
capitalise on the identified opportunities
in each pilot city. Pilot city analysis
will then be extrapolated to all ADB
developing member countries.

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TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

but the whole picture –
the environmental, social and
economic sustainability.
Working across fields of knowledge
The same approaches and techniques
can be used in other parts of the
society. Ramboll has been chosen to
assist the Danish Energy Agency in
developing an integrated and more
flexible energy system that cuts
across all supply sectors – so-called
Smart Energy.

Like the New York climate study, it
was important that we have expertise
within many sectors. We are able to
cut across technical and management
skills and combine strong analytical
and project management profiles with
extensive knowledge of the sectors
and conditions to effectively integrate
utility sectors into a flexible energy
system.
For national, regional and local
governments and utilities, we
have helped deploy demand-side
management programme and to drive
energy efficiency throughout their
jurisdictions.
The US State of Colorado Energy
Office selected us to manage their
state-wide energy performance
contracting program that is ranked #3
in the nation. We help state agencies,
local governments and school
districts to identify and undertake
energy conservation projects.
Managing emissions
in a full product lifecycle
We advise cities and companies who
want to identify and reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions – not
only their own, but also their valuechain emissions such as emissions
associated with raw material
purchase, product distribution, and
business travel - not to mention the
need for companies to identify and
manage emissions in their product
lifecycle as a part of the circular
economy.
We complete climate action
masterplans to outline a road map for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
And we complete energy audits
and energy management strategies
for industrial, commercial and
institutional clients globally.

Improving the EU’s emissions trading system
Ramboll is working with the EU Commission and national administrations
to improve the clarity and reliability of information on how revenues
from the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) are used. EU ETS is a key
tool for reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions cost-effectively.
It is the world’s first major carbon market and provides a relatively new
source of revenue (approximately EUR 3.2 billion generated in 2014) for
EU countries. Over half of the money should be ‘recycled’ to support the
achievement of EU energy and climate objectives.

LIVEABLITY AND GROWTH IN THE NEW CLIMATE ECONOMY

BLUE-GREEN
SOLUTIONS ARE
OFTEN CHEAPER
THAN A
TRADITIONAL
GREY SOLUTION

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30

TAKING THE LOW-CARBON LEAP

JOIN US ON
THE JOURNEY
Each step on the way to a low-carbon society is an
individual story, and we hope that you have found
the examples we have shared with you useful.
Perhaps they have challenged your perception of
what is possible in taking the low-carbon leap.
We invite you to reach out to us to learn more about
how we can support you in your contributions to a
low-carbon society.
www.ramboll.com